• We’re currently investigating an issue related to the forum theme and styling that is impacting page layout and visual formatting. The problem has been identified, and we are actively working on a resolution. There is no impact to user data or functionality, this is strictly a front-end display issue. We’ll post an update once the fix has been deployed. Thanks for your patience while we get this sorted.

Battlefield 2142 $38.99 with Free Shipping

Page 2 - Seeking answers? Join the AnandTech community: where nearly half-a-million members share solutions and discuss the latest tech.
After reading much more on the issue I'm fairly confident they aren't doing anytning outside of the game.

My only concern now is how this system effects the performance of an already difficult system.
 
Originally posted by: Woofmeister
EA clarifies the spyware issue here:
The advertising program in Battlefield 2142 does not access any files which are not directly related to the game. It does not capture personal data such as cookies, account login detail, or surfing history.

BF 2142 delivers ads by region. The advertising system uses a player's IP address to determine the region of the player, assisting to serve the appropriate ads by region and language. For instance, a player in Paris might be presented with ads in French. The information collected will not be repurposed for other uses.

Battlefield 2142 also tracks "impression data" related to in-game advertisements: location of a billboard in the game, brand advertised, duration of advertisement impression, etc. This information is used to help advertisers qualify the reach of a given advertisement.
Click to expand...
So according to EA, the only data being captured is your IP address and other data which was already being transferred to the server during the course of playing the game.

Nevertheless, I"m still not really comfortable with this. I think in-game adds are intrusive and distracting and I don't like being made a captive audience for a shampoo ad simply because I want to engage in some mindless fragging. I find it particularly disconcerting when ads appear in single-player games for products that were not even being sold at the time the game originally came out (Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory anyone?) If you want to show ads, show them at the initial login and leave them out of the game content.

If you're not making enough money off game sales and related merchandise, maybe you should change your pricing model.
Click to expand...

The "other data" is the collection of user's browsing history, etc. which will enable the game company/advertisers to target ads specifically for each game player.
 
Originally posted by: Budarow
The "other data" is the collection of user's browsing history, etc. which will enable the game company/advertisers to target ads specifically for each game player.
Click to expand...
And you know this how?

Why would your "browsing history" be transmitted to a game server during the course of playing a game? How would those files be accessed by the game? Why would a game server want to waste the bandwidth?

I'm a not carrying water for EA (far from it if you examine this thread) but let's all try to confine this discussion to supportable assertions.

 
It might be a bad move on EA's part, but I really don't think they're stupid enough to do anything harmful. They are most certainly aware that privacy is a sensitive issue and that this would be unpopular with some. However, if you think they're out to scam us, I'd disagree. You have to tread lightly when it comes to these things, or face tremendous ridicule and irreparable damage to your reputation.
In for one.
 
Vote with your wallet people. Companies like EA understand one thing... sales, or lack thereof. Some director somewhere in EA-land ain't gonna give two sh!ts about whether it offends your sense of fair play. If, however, gamers choose not to pay for spyware then it lessens the chances of this lunacy occurring again by a game publisher.
 
I've bought every Battlefield title and expansion up until now. I will not be buying 2142. EA can keep their game and their spyware ad monster, and I'll keep my money. Hopefully enough people will skip buying this title that it will send a message to EA about it. Unfortunately, it will probably just make them abandon the PC as a Battlefield platform and release console versions only for the sheeple. Damned if you do...
 
I'm still on the fense with this.

Part of me now wants to get it BECAUSE of all this possible stuff so I can sniff it out and examine what they are really doing. There seems to be an awful lot of rumors and confusion over what it's really doing.

I think the only fact we know right now is that there's in game adverts that are targeted. EA claims it's just regional data. Others are claiming it scans your browsing history to present you with midget pr0n links.

I want to know what it's really doing.

I also wanted to test out the EA Downloader with a full game instead of an expansion. I'm a big fan of Steam and GameTap and if the EA Downloader works half as well I might finally be able to forget about CDs and DVDs with new games.
 
I wouldn't pay $5.00 for it until the ads are completely removed. Cable TV in the US is bad enough, I'll not pay for a game only to have ads there too!
 
Originally posted by: InSuboRdiNaTioN
It might be a bad move on EA's part, but I really don't think they're stupid enough to do anything harmful. They are most certainly aware that privacy is a sensitive issue and that this would be unpopular with some. However, if you think they're out to scam us, I'd disagree. You have to tread lightly when it comes to these things, or face tremendous ridicule and irreparable damage to your reputation.
In for one.
Click to expand...

I don't believe EA is trying to do any harm to gamers either, but it's just another small step towards bigbrotherdom knowing more and more about each individual.
 
Originally posted by: VooDooAddict
I'm still on the fense with this.

Part of me now wants to get it BECAUSE of all this possible stuff so I can sniff it out and examine what they are really doing. There seems to be an awful lot of rumors and confusion over what it's really doing.

I think the only fact we know right now is that there's in game adverts that are targeted. EA claims it's just regional data. Others are claiming it scans your browsing history to present you with midget pr0n links.

I want to know what it's really doing.

I also wanted to test out the EA Downloader with a full game instead of an expansion. I'm a big fan of Steam and GameTap and if the EA Downloader works half as well I might finally be able to forget about CDs and DVDs with new games.
Click to expand...

I already do forget about cds/dvds about 98% of the time for my retail games and I won't buy a game which prevents me from doing so easily😉.

 
Originally posted by: Woofmeister
Originally posted by: Budarow
The "other data" is the collection of user's browsing history, etc. which will enable the game company/advertisers to target ads specifically for each game player.
Click to expand...
And you know this how?

Why would your "browsing history" be transmitted to a game server during the course of playing a game? How would those files be accessed by the game? Why would a game server want to waste the bandwidth?

I'm a not carrying water for EA (far from it if you examine this thread) but let's all try to confine this discussion to supportable assertions.
Click to expand...

If you read more on this issue over the past year or so, you'd find out advertisers aren't interested in paying to place "blind" ads in games which may not appeal to the end target audience. Thus they want to know each gamers browsing habits so as to target ads which more closely match up with a gamers real-life interests and resulting in actual sales of products. This is pretty much the sole reason most peeps object to the ads (i.e., mining for data from one's PC is a clear invasion of privacy).

I for one would actually like to see some ads in some games such as sports games since it would actually make the game more realistic. I always have to laugh a little when playing a sports game and on the walls of the stadium are ads for "Joe's Hotdog Stand", etc. I'd much prefer to see the red and white stripes of a Coka-Cola banner since real stadiums have them.
 
Originally posted by: Budarow
Originally posted by: VooDooAddict
I might finally be able to forget about CDs and DVDs with new games.
Click to expand...

I already do forget about cds/dvds about 98% of the time for my retail games and I won't buy a game which prevents me from doing so easily😉.
Click to expand...

Exactly 98% of the time. I'm looking for 100% 🙂

Daemon-Tools and Alcohol 120% are wonderful and the reason why I have sizable RAID 5 array. With Steam and GameTap though I don't need to even worry about my personal disk images.

Steam/GameTap also makes things easier for non-Techie friends. It just works, like console gaming. (I know some people have issues with Steam, but I haven't run into any except when pre-ordering new games. Steam used to not like my billing address.)
 
my friend used to be a tester for EA. he quit recently once he found out that they were going to start including spyware along with their top tier games.
 
Originally posted by: Budarow
Originally posted by: Woofmeister
Originally posted by: Budarow
The "other data" is the collection of user's browsing history, etc. which will enable the game company/advertisers to target ads specifically for each game player.
Click to expand...
And you know this how?

Why would your "browsing history" be transmitted to a game server during the course of playing a game? How would those files be accessed by the game? Why would a game server want to waste the bandwidth?

I'm a not carrying water for EA (far from it if you examine this thread) but let's all try to confine this discussion to supportable assertions.
Click to expand...

If you read more on this issue over the past year or so, you'd find out advertisers aren't interested in paying to place "blind" ads in games which may not appeal to the end target audience. Thus they want to know each gamers browsing habits so as to target ads which more closely match up with a gamers real-life interests and resulting in actual sales of products. This is pretty much the sole reason most peeps object to the ads (i.e., mining for data from one's PC is a clear invasion of privacy).
Click to expand...

Can you profive any links to confirm that BF2142 scans your browsing history? Everything the Devs have posted on the matter say that it just uses regional information and NOT browsing history.

This isn't to say ads in games that we pay for are OK. I just don't like scare tactics to move an agenda (i.e. boycot BF2142). Even when I agree that BF2142 should be boycoted, due to ads in a premium priced game. People should be alowed to make thier own decissions based on fact. EA doesn't mention anything on the outside of the box and I take issue with that as well.

Personally, I'm hoping EA is just testing this so see how much $$ they can bring in from advertisers. I think we are all hoping this little experiement will fail.
 
I'm no legal guru but will ask anyway.
Can EA be sued for doing this, (a violation of privacy rights or whatever)?
Or Is it perfectly legal for EA to do this?
 
  1. Ever since I played 2142 at E3 this year, I have said it looks, fells, and plays like an expansion pack. Had EA marketed and priced it like that, I would have been happy. But they did not, and that is my 1st gripe with this title.

  • 2nd, EA quality assurance is poor, IMO. Buggy gameplay, patches that cause more problems, and technical support that give your the run around. Heck, when I mentioned to the developers that this was the biggest challenge the Battlfield series faces, they said, "Really, we had no idea."
    :roll:

  • 3rd, while ads in video games are inevitable, data mining still represent a threat to personal privacy and another nail in the coffin of why you should not buy this game.
 
Why should we pay for a game if it will have "in game ads"..it should be free(just like TV)

Sorry I will never pay for a game where I am being watched and they are generating money on ads....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

TRENDING THREADS

Back
Top